Where Flavours and Nutrition collide..Mini Matcha Dorayaki Pancakes with Mochi~!

It is Tea Time~!

With the recent influence from my part-time research on the nutrition aspects of green tea, it made perfect sense to incorporate this luscious yet nutritious flavour into an everyday treat..

Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, after water, and originated in China as far back as 2737 B.C.. Within the numerous varieties available in the market, green tea has been priced for its relatively high content of polyphenolics, some of which carry strong antioxidant capacities that may be protective of our cells from becoming damaged.

Despite the nutritionist in me, I am most fascinated by the unique flavour that matcha (powder green tea from Japan) has to offer. From its subtle aroma, to its well balanced bittersweet undertone, it is the perfect ingredient that would bring any sweet treat with an element of surprise.

Just to balance out my health-conscious sense, I have made these dorayaki into bite size treats!

~ Mini Matcha Dorayaki Pancakes with Mochi ~

Makes 24 mini dorayaki

Ingredients

4 Eggs
200g Granulated Sugar
3 tbs Honey
2 tbs Vegetable oil
2 tbs Mirin
1 tsp baking soda
300g cake flour
1 tbs Matcha powder
100mL Water
1 can (300g) Adzuki bean paste with sweet chestnut
Pre-made mochi


Directions


1.     Whisk eggs and sugar till glossy
2.     Sift the flour and matcha powder three times
3.     Combine the water, mirin, baking soda and honey
4.     Slowly add the sifted flour into the egg mix while whisking, followed by the liquids

5.     Mix well and set aside for approx 20 mins, after 20 mins the consistency may need adjusting with a little water
6.     Cook Dorayaki in a pan (very lightly oiled and wipe with paper towel) over medium heat till bubbles appear before flipping (the underside should be nicely browned all over


7.     Served sandwiched together with prepared red bean and mochi pieces

Bon Appetit~!

Celebrating Japanese New Year....le Macaron de Shōgatsu!

This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html

As we count down along with the crystal ball in NYC, January 1st is also considered by most Japanese to be one of the most important annual festivals and has been celebrated for centuries with its own unique customs. After an evening a festivities, toasts with Champagne, and feeling at ease on my day off, I decided to create macaron that celebrate Japanese New Year (正月) or Shōgatsu.


Japanese people eat a special selection of dishes during the New Year celebration called osechi-ryōri (御節料理). This consists of boiled seaweed (昆布), fish cakes (蒲鉾), mashed sweet potato with chestnut (栗きんとん), simmered burdock root (金平牛蒡), and sweetened black soybeans (黒豆). Many of these dishes are sweet, sour, or dried, so they can keep without refrigeration—the culinary traditions date to a time before households had refrigerators, when most stores closed for the holidays.

This special macaron incorporates one of the ingredients from osechi-ryōri, sweet chestnut, with 2 other signature flavours of Japan, Red Bean (赤豆) and Matcha Green Tea (抹茶).


~ le Macaron de Shōgatsu ~

Makes 20 Macarons

6 Sweet Roasted Chestnuts - cut into 1/4" cubes

1 batch of red bean flavoured macaron shells
for the Macaron Recipe, please click on this link below for the recipe for the Earl Grey Macaron:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/earl-grey-macaronnew-creation-for.html

* Replace the 8g of Earl Grey tea powder with 8g of Red Bean (Kochi An) powder

1 batch of Matcha Ganache
for the Matcha Ganache Recipe, please click on this link below for the recipe for the le Macaron de l'amour:
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/11/macarons-that-shimmered-for-union-of.html


Assemble the le Macaron de Shōgatsu:
1. Place the ganache into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto one macaron shell.
2. Place 3-4 pieces of sweet roasted chestnut cubes into the ganache.
3. Gently press an un-piped shell onto the ganache until the ganache just reaches the rim of the macaron.
4. Dust very lightly with Matcha powder if desired.

Bon Appetit!

Let's Give the American Classic with an Asian Kick....The Luscious Pecan Pie with Roasted Kabocha!

Recipe: Luscious Pecan Pie with Roasted Kabocha


This article is an extension to a previous post on Kabocha:
"Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin...."

Since most of us have our favourite recipe for this American Classic, I will not insert a recipe here.

~ Roasted Kabocha ~


1 (~ 2lb) Kabocha
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 tbs Unsalted Butter
4 tbs Brown Sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice


1. Pre-heat the oven to 350oF
2. Split the Kabocha in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds with a spoon
3. Place 1 tbs of butter in each of the halfs, sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice
4. Place 1 cinnamon stick in each half and bake for 1 hour
5. "Base" the Kabocha with the melted butter and sugar in its cavity, then bake for another 30 minutes, or until golden


~ Pecan Pie with Kabocha ~

1. Follow your favourite recipe for Pecan Pie, first prepare the crust
2. Slice the roasted Kabocha thinly and evenly spread the slices at the bottom of the crust in one single layer
3. Pour the filling over the Kabocha and decorate it with pecan halfs


4. Bake the Pecan Pie according to the time indicated in your recipe, plus 3-5 minutes



Bon Appetit!

Giving Thanks with Kabocha....the Japanese Pumpkin....

Sugar pumpkins....mm mmmm....often the choice for the luscious yet velvety pie to celebrate the season filled with foliage, and thankful wishes. While roaming the farmer's market that spanned the 3 square blocks of Union Square in NYC, bombarded by stands with farmers proudly displayed various species of squash and pumpkin, I could not pass on this opportunity to conduct experiments with this knobbly-looking one....the Kabocha!


Kabocha is a Japanese variety of winter squash that is commonly known as the Japanese pumpkin. Today many of the kabocha in the market are of the type called Kuri kabocha, which was created based on Seiyo kabocha (buttercup squash). It's popular for its intense yet sweet flavour and moist, fluffy texture, which is similar to its perfect partner, the chestnut.

Kabocha is firm one shaped like a squatty pumpkin, and has a dull finished deep green skin with some celadon-to-white stripes that wraps the an intense yellow-orange flesh within, which often reminds me of sunflowers gazing the setting sun in Italy.


With its amiable flesh comes the explosive package of nutrients; Kabocha is high in carotene and could provide protective effects against vision loss, heart disease, and cancer. It is also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins C & E and iron, with smaller traces of calcium, folic acid, and minute amounts of B vitamins.

When kabocha is just harvested, it is still growing. Therefore, unlike other vegetables and fruits, freshness is not as important. It should be fully matured first, in order to become flavorful. First, kabocha is ripened in a warm place (77°F) for 13 days, during which some of the starch converts to carbohydrate content. Then it is transferred to a cool place (50°F) and stored for about a month in order to increase its carbohydrate content. In this way the just-harvested, dry, bland-tasting kabocha is transformed into smooth, sweet kabocha. Fully ripened, succulent kabocha will have reddish-yellow flesh and a hard skin with a dry, corky stem. It reaches the peak of ripeness about 1.5–3 months after it is harvested.


With this golden gem roasting in the oven, the experiments begin....

Recipe: le macaron noir!

~ le macaron noir ~
sésame macaron à la crème de sésame noir


This article is part of "The Macaron Series"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-mood-for-loveand-macaronthe-macaron.html

And an extension to the article "All Blacked Out"
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2008/09/all-blacked-out-current-food-trends-on.html

Makes 20 macarons

Ingredients

Macaron:
65g Almond meal
80g Icing sugar
40g Castor sugar
50g Egg white
8g Roasted Black Sesame Powder

Filling:
Japanese Kurogoma Creme


Preheat your oven to 325oF
1. Stack two or three heavy baking trays. Line the top tray with Silpat.
2. Process the almond meal and icing sugar at high speed to achieve a fine powder. Incorporate the Roasted Black Sesame powder into this mixture and sift to break up any lumps of powder.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the room-temperature egg whites until foamy and just at soft peaks. Gradually beat in the castor sugar, adding a little at a time. Beat on medium speed for a number of minutes until you have a firm, glossy and compact meringue.
4. Sprinkle half of the dry mixture over the meringue and fold in with a spatula using a circular motion around the bowl and under the batter. Repeat with the remaining powder. You don't need to be gentle, but the goal is to incorporate the dry ingredients quickly to avoid overmixing. *It's better to undermix than overmix.
5. The final batter should be the colour of pale brown, smooth and thick but flowing. A ribbon of batter dropped from a spoon onto the top of the remaining batter should take about 30 seconds to disappear.
6. Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a 8-10 mm nozzle and pipe evenly onto the baking paper. Mild peaks should settle back into the batter eventually. If they don't disappear, tap the tray repeatedly on a table until the peaks have largely disappeared.
7. Leave the piped batter to dry for anywhere between 20 mins and two hours.
8. Place the tray in the oven and bake at 325oF for 12 minutes.
9. At the 5 minute mark the shells should have lifted and developed 'pied' or the feet. At the 6-7 minute mark they should be starting to colour just slightly.
10. Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for a minute or two.
11. Once removed from the sheet, leave the shells to cool on a wire rack, face up.


Assemble "le macaron noir":
1. Place the kurogoma creme into a piping bag and pipe mixture onto one macaron shell.
2. Gently press an un-piped shell onto the kurogoma creme until the creme just reaches the rim of the macaron.

Bon Appetit!

Le mystère du Mont-Blanc....

This article is part of "The Chestnut Series":
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-ingredient-for-chilling.html

Sweet and savoury bites with chestnuts should be anything but foreign to those who spent their childhood in Asia. Their passion for these sweet succulent fruits has reached the obsession level, yet never plateaued at their creative constructions with this jewel. From savoury soups within the Chinese medicinal culinary bible, to the velvety luscious sweet version, from the sweet roasted chestnuts with their mesmerising scent escaping through the cracked shells, to a piece of pastry where the crispy meringue, smooth puréed chestnuts and Crème Chantilly melt into a harmonious sensation, it is hardly a challenge to discover one invention that suits your palette.


Remembering my dislike in Mont-Blanc as a child is a thought that is as ancient as it foreign. My debut to this pâtisserie was with a cake slice that was assembled with two dominating sponge layers adhered with whipped cream and layers of puréed chestnuts that were minuscule in volume. It took an adventure in Paris, a Pâtisserie across from Musée Du Louvre, Angelina, to win my heart over this time-honoured French Dessert (there is almost nothing as poetic as devouring this treat on a wooden bench within the Jardin des Tuileries!).



A Mont Blanc (Italian Montebianco) is a cake or tart made of puréed chestnuts and whipped cream, often on a meringue base, and gets its name from the Mont Blanc mountains. Often sugar or cream will decorate the top of a Monte Blanc to resemble snow-capped mountains. It is a popular dessert in Hungary. In Hungary it is known as "gesztenyepüré" (literally chestnut puree).

This dessert dates back to 1475 in an Italian cook book from 1475, and was often served in the home of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. It became popular in France in the 17th century. Some sources claim that the cake was either invented at the Angelina cafe in France or in the Jiyūgaoka district of Tokyo.



Originally Mont Blancs were yellow, by using chestnuts sweetened through a pickling process. However, it has become increasingly more common to find light, or even dark brown Mont Blanc, utilizing the true colour of the chestnut.

The modernisation of Mont-Blanc has incorporated the use of Autumn pickings from the garden, such as pumpkin, squash, and purple yam in place of chestnut. Though I am often fond of fusion ideas, chestnuts can never be replaced in a true Mont-Blanc!

It has been an adventure to be on a quest to discover nouvelle patisseries that feature the Mont-Blanc, and here is one of my favourites, from Le Tao patisserie in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan. Please do share with me of your own favourites!



....traditional meringue base, with whipped cream that was lighter than Crème Chantilly, and chestnut puree that was made with Japan origin Marrons. The fragrant of this fruit was lingering on your taste buds after every bite. Délicieux~!

Recipe: Chestnut Ice Cream....the collusion of the warm against the cold

This article is part of the Chestnut Series!
http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/autumn-ingredient-for-chilling.html

An inspiration from my visit to Hokkaido....


Sometimes the senses from the ice cream trickling down your throat that much more exciting while walking against the chilling wind....


Chestnut Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts

1 quart milk
7/8 cup heavy cream
10 egg yolk
1 1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces chestnut puree
1 ounce rum
10 sweet roasted chestnuts or Marron glacé - chopped into bite size


1. In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Add the cream. Bring to boil again. (Do not cook after the liquid has reached the boil.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is a very pale lemon yellow, and a ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted from the mixture.

3. Pour the hot milk and cream into the eggs, and mix thoroughly. Add chestnut puree and rum.

4. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Over low heat, stir it with a wooden spoon until it thickens slightly and coats the spoon - about 5 minutes. DO NOT BOIL. (To be certain the mixture is ready: With a finger draw a thin path through the mixture on the surface of the spoon; the mixture is ready when the path will not close up.)

5. Pass through a fine sieve. Refrigerate until cold, then churn with ice cream maker.

6. Stir in the chopped chestnuts when ice cream has completed churning.

Bon Appetit!

Sometimes it takes a desperate situation for the invention of a gourmet's adventure....

Stumbling upon my friend's travel blog has invoked fonded memories of strolling along Hokkaido's food markets.


A place that is well known for the exquisite sea urchin (uni or うに-雲丹), the monstrous giant red king crab (tarapa kani or 鱈場蟹), the creamy and luscious sea scallops (hotate gai or ホタテ貝), and various fruits with scents and tastes that have been engineered by the Heavens, it is this cured fish that topped the list of inspirations for this culinary adventure, the "Overnight Cured Flower Crucian Carp" originated from Japan's Chiba Prefecture (日本千葉縣一夜干の花鯽魚).


Prior WWII, the Flower Crucian Carp (花鯽魚) was considered as the "poor men's fish", due to its quick spoilage nature. As natural resources became scarce as the war began, this carp was distributed in the northern regions as dietary protein. A restaurateur of an Izakaya chain in Hokkaido took this as an opportunity to explore the use of this fatty fish, from preservation to recipes execution, created a dish that, not finding it on a Izakaya menu in Japan would be a challenge!

The preservation procedure is rather unique but simple. Unlike most cured fish, it takes only one night to dry. The fish is first cleaned and gutted, then soaked in salted water. The salted fish is then hung to air-dry overnight to remove excess water, and therefore concentrate the rich oil and flavour within the fish. The cured fish is either sold in the wet market, or vacuum-packed for distribution within Japan.





Due to its richness in fat this cured treat is often prepared by passing over a charcoal grill. With such a simple treatment comes with an unexpected delight in all senses, that words can hardly make justice. This dish shared the freshness of the uncured cousin. The slightly firmer but extremely moist texture of its flesh balances well with the crispy charred yet slightly gelatinous skin. But I believe it is the aroma from the carbonisation of fish oil that solidified this culinary experience.



It takes a desperate situation for the invention of scientific preservation, but it takes an artist to transform an underprivileged ingredient into a dish that would satisfy a gourmet!

All BLACKED Out! The current food trends on anything black....

It is not entirely a strange concept to consume foods that are mysteriously "black". In foreign cuisines, we have pastas and sauces elegantly "contaminated" with squid ink, and the East, black sesame made its way through the shadow with its mesmerising aroma. Black soybeans came crashing into the healthy eating market with the features of being lower in carbs and higher in fibre, compared to its fair cousin.


Just when you were expecting that our adventurous palates have been saturated with the culinary arts of darkness, here comes charcoal walking through the back entrance....Yes, charcoal indeed! I am not referring to the carcinogenic derivatives on meats we generate from our most honourable barbeques, but a special variant of charcoal that has undergone a manipulative process of wood or bamboo, where heat no less than 1000 degrees celcius is applied for a pr0longed period of time.


This type of charcoal, Binchō-tan (備長炭) - the wood version or 竹炭 - the bamboo version, is certainly no stranger, but a highly valued multi-tasking gem among the residents of Japan. The origin of Binchō-tan dates back to the Genroku period of the Edo era (1688-1703) in Japan, when a businessman perfected the Chinese art of making charcoal that was introduced in the early 9th century. Binchō-tan is priced for its matching strength to steel, which is achieved through physical activation of the carbon in specially selected high density woods. This activation creates a type of charcoal that conducts electricity (therefore it has the ability to neutralise electromagnetic waves), with an ultimate power of filtration and humidity regulation. These qualities of Binchō-tan appears to be more suitable for household settings, and to the innovative Japanese, it wasn't surprising that they have incorporated Binchō-tan in the culinary setting. Rice becomes more flavourful with improved texture when cooked with Binchō-tan, due to the filtration power of the charcoal, and the leeching of microminerals from the wood, minerals that becomes available only after the activation process.


Don't be mistaken....cooking rice with Binchō-tan alone will not turn your rice black! However, with the constant expansion of the market for healthy eating, and the curiosity of Japanese consumers reaching the stratosphere, the ground version of this black mass has made its entrance to the culinary repetoire (the bamboo version is used for making "edible" ground charcoal). The Japanese believes that the filtration power of charcoal would translate when ingested, and often seen incorporated into flour for bread and pâtisserie items. This trend has infiltrated the neighbouring cities like Hong Kong and Taipei; Hong Kong now has a restaurant featuring sofisticated "charred" dishes!


Studies conducted in Japan have shown that consuming edible charcoal will enhance gastrointestinal mobility, digestion, and the excretion of toxic substances, but the Taiwanese found no convincing evidence to support these claims. What's my take on all these? It is an item I am not ready to incorporate into my daily diet. The porous nature of the charcoal would in theory have the ability to absorb toxic substances within our GI, but this absorption would unlikely be selective. It can interfere with the absorption of certain essential nutrients from our diet, which could lead to nutrient deficiencies. Similar to nutrient supplements, we should take caution with new "ingredients" where the effects of long term intake have not been studied. Despite the doubts, tastings were inevitable with my curiosity. The subtle yet complex bitterness of the charcoal added to the depth of flavours in sweet cakes....the best of all, the charcoal does not stain your tongue! A Sweet Deal indeed!

Reflection: Our repertoire of food and ingredients....

It is never a difficult task to begin a microscopic analysis on recent conversations with friends while you are ill in bed =P

This conversation began on pictures of the spiny crustaceans I sampled during my trip to Hokkaido, Japan....

The topic: our willingness to expand of our repertoire of food and ingredients

The panel of speakers: 2 Asian foodie vs 2 American foodies

The verdict....wouldn't be that difficult to guess....

As a person whom is privileged to grow up in a place with a history can be shared through its cuisines, a culture embraces an eating philosophy that all moving creatures with their backs facing the Sun can be consumed, and a culinary belief where the distinction of textures between the various cuts within a slab of beef brisket should be cherished; it was difficult at first for me to understand how one would deliberately restrict their knowledge in ingredients....ie shrimps only come headless and edible chicken parts only consist of muscles. My fascination on foreign and odd looking bites, could be one's nightmare.


As I began unfolding my "fresh" sashimi experience, me peeling the flesh of a Pudan Shrimp (ボタン海老 - 牡丹虾) off its skeleton when it was still very much alive, my friend from the other side of the panel simply looked horrified.

As I began to dissect this conversation, I came to realise, culinary experience for some of us including myself, is something that we thrive to gain. There is nothing more thrilling than seeing the unfamiliar and the strange. It is almost like an addiction, an sensory experience that would give us cognitive pleasure.

However, if this sensory exposure or imagination of a foreign food could yield an experience so alarming and fearful, the gustation of flavour would simply be overwhelmed and most likely be affected in a negative aspect. If that is the case, why are we still criticising those for not being adventurous in culinary experience?

I too do have intense struggles when faced with certain types of food. My most recent experience would have to be the Pork Lung Soup I savoured during my trip to Hong Kong. Organ meats are definitely a challenge for me, but as Mr. Choi Lan (蔡瀾先生 - a famous food critic in Asia, and someone I very much admire) said, you must let down your mental guards when it comes to food; you have to taste it and taste it again before you presume your likings, and then you will be able to open yourself to all that this world has to offer.

And my verdict on the soup? It was honestly the most unimaginable experience. The flavour was delicate yet complex. The 5 tastes were perfectly balanced, and the combination of pork and Chinese almonds brought out the natural umami from all the ingredients. The lung pieces themselves matched very closely with sweetbreads in its texture, minus the intensity of game flavour. Délicieux!

What's your insight on this? I will leave here another picture of a dish I often dream of....

A little taste of Hokkaido - Nouvelle Pâtisserie Japonaise Kitakaro 北菓楼

Nouvelle Pâtisserie Japonaise Kitakaro 北菓楼

One of the notable pâtisseries from my southern Hokkaido trip....and being situated in Otaru 小樽, the history and hospitality of the location only made Kitakaro that much more memorable. This gem hides within a gray stone complex, and if it wasn't for the honey floral aroma that disbursed from within, I would have mistaken it for a historical Japanese bathhouse, grand but eccentric....


As I walk inside the tunnel that spanned the broad walls, the welcoming lights emerged into sight, followed by elegant displays of their signature sweets. The aroma intensified....unique combination of fragrance from honey, eggs and flour could only be the results of on-premise baking! With a few broken Japanese phrases, and a little squeezing through the immense crowd waiting to exchange their gold for the delectable, I have arrived to the kitchen for the demonstration of their most priced item - Baumkuchen 妖精の森, which translates to "The Fairy Forest"....the tree-ring pattern of the cake represents the forest, whereas the golden sheen on the cake, the inviting aroma, and the exquisite flavour of this signature piece could certainly live up to the enchanted beauty of fairies.

With just one tasting, I was sold....the delicate flavour of maple and honey balanced well with the sweetness and buttery richness of the cake. It was moist yet light in texture....delightful with a cup of Earl Grey and lemon *will speak more about my devotion to Earl Grey as an ingredient later....

The Japanese are known to have intricate inspirations for their machinery designs....and they have done it again....a special oven just to achieve the perfection of 妖精の森....words alone wouldn't do justice here....heh....please check out the video featuring the making~!